News Release

Fear and Dread at Ringgold Gap - A Kayak Tour of Ringgold Gap and South Chickamauga Creek

Date: July 9, 2024
Contact: Kim Coons, 706-866-9241, ext. 139

Fort Oglethorpe, GA: On Saturday, July 20 at 9 am, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, in partnership with Outdoor Chattanooga and sponsored by National Park Partners, will conduct a FREE, 4- hour, historical kayak tour through Ringgold, Georgia.

As the Confederate Army of Tennessee retreated from Missionary Ridge, the US army pursed them to Ringgold, Georgia. Here, the blue-clad soldiers assailed the Southerners of General Patrick Cleburne’s Division, tasked with holding them back. One of the US soldiers, Ambrose H. Haywad, of the 28th Pennsylvania Infantry, wrote his father that “I experienced more fear & dread at Taylors Ridge than at either Chancellorsville, Antietam, or Gettysburgh.” Join us to learn about this small, yet brutal, final battle of the 1863 Chattanooga Campaign.

The following reservation and paddler requirements must be met prior to tour participation.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Participants should meet Outdoor Chattanooga staff for this tour near the Ringgold High School softball field, off Sparks Street, in Ringgold, Georgia, to be shuttled to the launch site. To make a reservation, please visit Outdoor Chattanooga’s online catalog at NPS Interpretive Kayak Tour -"Fear and Dread at Ringgold Gap" | Outdoor Chattanooga or call 423-643-6888.

PADDLER REQUIREMENTS

· Participants must be 15 years of age or older

· Participants must know how to swim

· Experience is helpful but not necessary. Shallow areas may require paddler to frequently get in and out of the watercraft.

**Restrooms are not available at the launch points

Outdoor Chattanooga and the National Park Service reserve the right to cancel a trip at any time at their discretion, due to weather or water conditions. Participants will be notified as soon as possible if there is a cancellation. If you must cancel your reservation for any reason, please try to do so with a minimum of 24 hours’ notice. Please call between the hours of 8 am – 5 pm, Monday – Friday to cancel a reservation.

For more information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241, the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821-7786, or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/chch.